Description

Here I parked at the Lemons Ridge and Spicewood Canyon trailhead (TH). I went east on Lemons Ridge parallel with the road. Lemons Ridge is moderately challenging but also very flowy. There are technical sections on this trail. Lemons Ridge is split once by the park road. At the Cedar Chopper sign, I then took a right and crossed the road to the Cedar Chopper TH.

Here I followed signs toward the Tinaja Trail going on the east section of Cedar Chopper Loop. I went left on Tinaja and took this three-mile trail to the conference center. This trail is very difficult: highly technical and very steep climbing grades from 20-30%. Once you get over the Tinaja ridge, it is an amazingly fun descending from there.

Tinaja spits you out at the park's gravel maintenance road. Go down the road towards the conference and Gorman Spring. Cross the grate bridge over Gorman Spring and follow the trail to the River Trail and Old Gorman Road Trail junction. Follow the sign towards Old Gorman Road.

If you go down a very steep grade towards the river, you've gone the wrong way towards the River Trail. Once you're on Old Gorman Road Trail, prepare for a lung-busting climb. Once you're at the top of Old Gorman Road, you can choose either direction on Cedar Chopper Loop as you'll still end up at the TH. I opted for the shorter way back, taking the east portion of the loop back. Then I went back the way I came on Lemons Ridge.